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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. roll — a list
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — in sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a cake
  14. board — a committee
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bank — of a river
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. clip — for paper
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com